medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
On Wednesday, October 10, 2007, at 7:37 am, christopher crockett wrote:
> i wonder what this is:
>
> http://www.monastery-for-sale.com/images/20.jpg
>
> a hermitage, in a cave?
Hermitages (and older portions of monasteries) built into caves exist in many parts of Italy. After the erection of the monastery proper, the chambers in question are likely to served as chapels or other retreats. Here's a little bit of hiker-oriented tourist literature on the site noting that it's partly built into the rock but not saying how those parts of it have been used:
http://www.colliesini.com/itinerari/vis_news.php?id_itinerario=5
The Eremo dei Frati Bianchi in Cupramontana (AN) is located in a karstic limestone formation called the Colli Esini (from the name of the principal river cutting through it, the Esino). Gaps in the formation's rock range from shallow depressions to the Grotte di Frasassi, one of the largest cave complexes in western Europe. Some of these hollow spaces have long been used as religious retreats of one sort or another. Towards the north end of the Gola di Frasassi in Genga (AN) is a fairly sizeable cave housing the Oratorio di Santa Maria infra Saxa shown here:
http://www.hesis.it/images/infrasaxa1.jpg
What makes that oratory not so typical is this early nineteenth-century tempietto adjacent to it:
http://www.hesis.it/images/valadier1.jpg
http://www.terredimarca.net/colliesini_file/valadier2.jpg
http://tinyurl.com/2hedb8
This was erected in the 1820s by the architect Giuseppe Valadier for the use of pope Leo XII (Annibale della Genga), a scion of the local seigneurial family. There's an interior view and an Italian-language account here:
http://www.frasassi.com/tempio.html
Best,
John Dillon
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